Before The Light
by Estrea
Summary: Postanime. Started off as KeiMawata oneshot, but expanded into full fledged story. The bad guys never give up, and they have a new target...
1. Chapter 1

Ok I got really tired of trying to find Kei/Mawata fics, so I decided to write my own.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pretear. Capish?

**Before the Light**

Mawata sat, slumped, in the high-backed upholstered chair in her modestly, if not richly, decorated room.

The room was dark, the shadows deepening in corners, even though it was broad daylight. The reason lay in the tightly drawn curtains, shielding all possible outside influences almost as effectively as the locked door of the room.

Shutting out all the light. All the memories, all the truth. The painful truth.

Sasame was _not_ hers. Was never hers, would never be.

It hurt, hurt more than anything. She thought she had felt all the pain she needed when her father died, but she was wrong. Dreadfully wrong. This pain, this intolerable agony...it never stops.

_It only gets worse_, Mawata thought bitterly, curling into herself as she hugged her knees to her body, making her seem all the smaller in that enormous chair.

She had not come out of her room in days, a throwback to the times leading up to her imprisonment in the great tree of evil. She had not found the will, nor the strength, to venture outside. She didn't now either.

_Because then I would see _them, Mawata buried her face in her knees.

Them, as in Sasame and Takako. Them, partly, as in Himeno and Hayate. Even though the latter could hardly qualify as 'loving couple' status, which Sasame and Takako so perfectly, disgustingly, epitomised.

It was there, even if Himeno and Hayate said and behaved otherwise, Mawata reflected with a twinge in her heart. They obviously cared deeply for each other, although Hayate was too much of a blockhead to say anything, and Himeno obviously unready to take the first step.

It hurt to see them together. Mawata found herself suddenly resentful of her half sister. Even though they weren't lovey-dovey, they were still together. And Mawata resented the fact. It was something that made her feel guilty, as she owed Himeno a great deal, her life, in fact.

_"Sasame..."_ She was barely aware of the fact that she had whispered his name aloud. Sometimes, many times in fact, in the past few days, the line between mind and reality blurrred dangerously. She could no longer tell apart her thoughts and imagination from what was truly taking place around her.

It would have frightened her, but she was too wrapped up in her own personal agony to even be aware of the fact that her very sanity hovered on the brink.

Himeno may have saved her life, pulled her mind out of the bottomless pit of eternal darkness, yet she was still hovering in a grey area, coming almost dangerously close to falling back into the despair that nearly consumed her the last time.

_They have forgotten. Forgotten all about me..._ Mawata's thoughts were hazed. Vaguely she recalled Himeno's characteristically loud and cheery voice calling out to her from behind the door, but how long ago was that? She could barely remember if it even took place, and her near-despairing mind immediately banished that thought (or was it memory?) from her consciousness.

The darkness seemed to envelop her, cloaking her, shielding her. The darkness was frightening, painful...and she was afraid. Her time in the absolute darkness had scarred her, and she hated the dark.

But still, she could barely summon enough energy to stand, much less to walk to the windows and throw open the curtains. To let the light in. Or even to leave the room, escape from the dark, the darkness that haunted her dreams. The darkness that had threatened to swallow her alive.

That threatened to drown her now.

She wanted to escape into the light, had wanted to leave the darkness. And then she remembered.

Remembered Sasame. Remembered Takako, leaning into Sasame's arms. Gazing into each others' eyes in absolute adoration. And suddenly the darkness seemed the lesser of two evils.

She hated the dark, wanted to be rid of it at all costs. But more than her fear of the dark, she wanted to hide from the light of Sasame and Takako's love. She didn't want to see them. It would hurt so much...so much...

_Sasame..._ A single tear fell from her lidded eyes, landing with a splash on her calf, before winding its way slowly down to soak into the cushioned chair.

The chaos of her room reflected the chaos in her mind. Broken discs laid scattered on the carpeted floor, the bed unmade, everything in disorder. Mawata herself was in no better shape, her face haggard, her thin frame near skeletal, her clothes rumpled and creased. Her hair hung limply in uninspired strands to loosely frame her face. Her green eyes were dead, devoid of anything but pain and sorrow.

Voices. She raised her head slowly, her movements strained, as if every effort cost her valuable energy.

Was that someone knocking on the door? Her mind looped aimlessly as she tried to focus, but she failed. She wasn't even sure if anything was real and happening around her. Everything seemed like a dream, no, a nightmare.

Her vision was blurred and misty, everything she saw took on a surrealistic aspect. The door, in particular, looked contorted and was, shaking? She gave a confused little frown, her brows knitting together.

_They can't get in...nobody can get in to hurt me..._ Mawata thought almost dreamily. The lock was jammed after she had shoved a pen into the keyhole, damaging the mechanism. She had done it after witnessing Sasame and Takako declaring their love for each other again when she had just recovered from her stint inside the darkness. Since then she had not emerged from the room. Was it so long ago...?

A voice. It grew a little louder, but the words were all blurred together to her senses. She couldn't distinguish black from white now even if you held the two in front of her.

Sinking into oblivion. Mawata almost smiled as she shrank further into her mind, retreating into the darkness. _Nobody can reach me now..._

The darkness was...overwhelming. Briefly, her mind gave a little struggle as she recalled the horror of her previous ordeal, but it subsided as she gave into the perversely seductive shadows that promised to hide her from all her pain.

_No more pain..._ Sasame's face came briefly into her tortured mind, but the darkness brushed it away with ruthless efficiency.

Her eyelids...getting heavier. _So tired...sleep...need sleep..._

Sleep forever, no pain, no sorrow, no Sasame...

Her heart gave a painful jolt, which was quickly smothered by the shadows which had invaded her heart and mind.

Nothing mattered, nothing at all. Only the darkness, only in the darkness...

...can she be free...

Her eyes were closing, drooping. Only a thin sliver gave her a view of the outside world, which didn't matter anyway, since there was nothing for her to see. Nothing that she wanted to see.

A burst of sudden light. Mawata, barely aware of her surroundings, took no heed. Her eyelids fluttered, drooping just a little more.

Someone called out to her, it sounded like her name, but she wasn't sure about anything anymore.

She couldn't feel anything. She was going to sink into the darkness and escape forever.

Something warm wrapped around her. Urgent whispers floated into her ears, but nothing registered. Her eyes, beneath the nearly closed lids, were empty.

Then, a bright, white light.

It flooded into her, flowed into her every pore, into the very core of her being. It pierced through the veil of darkness that hovered over her mind and heart, illuminating everything.

She shied away from that intense glow, but found no way, since she was surrounded. Incredibly, in her mind's eye, she was floating, suspended, in that pure, holy light.

The light was blinding, so blindingly intense she could barely see. It pushed away the darkness, encircling her in a protective cocoon, as if to shield her from the dark.

It was warm, the light. It made her feel safe. It drove away the deadly chill of the dark, that bonedead cold that had deadened her senses.

Everything was so clear, so perfect, so _good_. It felt so peaceful, so safe, she clung to that light.

Suddenly Sasame was so far away, and it didn't matter. The light was everywhere, it drove all coherent thought away.

A hand came to her, a warm, welcoming hand. It came to a stop before her, not demanding, not distant. It simply waited, patient, for her to take it.

She didn't even think. She placed her own hand into that broad palm, and leaned forward.

Into a safe embrace. _So warm..._

**_Rest now..._** A gentle voice resonated within her mind, a voice to be trusted. She obliged, giving herself over without a thought.

It was safe to do so.

Her last coherent image, before she sank into a deep, dreamless sleep, was a pair of golden eyes.

-Fin-

Well that was it. So how do you like it? Read and review!

Edit: Was originally a one-shot, but decided to expand it slightly.


	2. Chapter 2

I was so not planning this, but after a talking-to from a friend who read it, I decided to expand this fic...!

Of course, I knew that this could have been longer, but I was evil to have wanted to leave this as a one-shot. Ah well.

So, on we go then!

Disclaimer: Pretear and all characters are not mine. Period. End of argument.

**Before the Light**

Chapter 2

"I wonder if Mawata's alright?" Himeno wondered aloud as she strolled through the extensive, park-like grounds of the Awayuki estate that had so recently been rebuilt. Two weeks ago it was still a wrecked ruin after the catastrophic encounter with Fenril, the tree of evil. Yet now it has been so quickly restored to its original form...almost. Himeno wasn't sure if Tanaka had added any more new...improvements. She started looking around with a slightly warier eye to the deceptively innocent greenery around her, not wanting to fall prey to any traps that laid concealed.

Again she marvelled at what money could do. A vast estate doesn't repair itself all that quickly, but it still amazed her how effective monetary incentives could be to increase workmanship and efficiency.

As usual, Hayate, the Knight of Wind, trailed along slightly behind and beside her. Himeno had to suppress a sigh of frustration at the thought of the handsome Wind Knight. He had promised that he would tell her something after the battle was over; but when it _was_ over, he didn't say anything. Well, nothing of any particular significance.

In fact, he wasn't the only one. The other knights--and the now good Takako--were somewhat vague about something that happened after the battle, something that she could not remember. She had tried to corner Kei and get it out of him, since the Knight of Light was less likely to lie to her, but he seemed strangely elusive, always off by himself in some corner or buried in work. That was really quite unlike Kei, since he wasn't the anti-social type; a little cold sometimes, but not a loner.

"You could try to check on her again," Hayate offered, breaking her line of thought. Himeno paused in her tracks, causing Hayate to almost bump into her---which he didn't, of course.

"It's been 2 days. Well, 2 and a half. I'm beginning to worry..." Himeno fretted, her thoughts once again on her step-sister. "We should have known not to let her see Sasame and Takako acting lovingly around each other, especially not so soon after she recovered...poor Mawata... Why won't she talk to us about it?"

"If you're so worried, we can go look in on her now." A hint of irritation had crept into Hayate's voice. Himeno gave him an absentminded glare.

"_If_ she opens the door this time..." Himeno turned back towards the enormous manor house, moving at a fast clip, Hayate again behind her.

"Mawata! It's me, Himeno!" Himeno called out, knocking on the polished oak door. There was no response. She knocked louder and called again. Still no response.

She tried the knob, but it wouldn't turn. She rattled it, trying by some force of will to shake it open somehow. The door refused to budge.

"...open...up..." Something between a grunt and a snort came from between Himeno's gritted teeth as she tried yanking on the knob, one foot braced against the door. Hayate watched her with a certain amount of amusement.

"...stupid door..." A vein was starting to throb in the pink haired girl's forehead, always a dangerous sign. Hayate had a feeling that if the door didn't open soon enough, the headstrong girl would just bulldoze it down.

Before that happened though, Hayate decided to intervene and save the Awayukis money for repairs. Not that they needed to save money though...

"I could teleport in and check it out." Himeno turned on him, an angry look written all over her face.

"Why didn't you say something sooner! Did you enjoy watching me struggle with the STUPID DOOR!" Himeno's temper, which Hayate suspected was never fully under control, boiled over in double quick time. For some reason, that always seemed to happen around him...

Sensing an imminent attack on his person, Hayate beat a quick retreat and disappeared in a flash of blue, before Himeno could even pounce on him to deliver her customary beating. Wisdom _did_ come with experience, and after all that time with Himeno, Hayate knew better than to risk getting pummelled for no apparent reason.

Himeno stamped her foot indignantly as the Wind Knight escaped her wrath...again.

"...idiot..."

Hayate resumed his form inside Mawata's dark and stuffy room. Well, mostly dark room.

He blinked at the sole source of light in the room, not quite believing what he saw. This had to be some strange alternate universe or something. To verify that he was _not_ dreaming, the blue clad knight pinched himself, wincing as he did so.

_'Ok so I'm not dreaming...'_ Hayate was still in some disbelief at the unusual sight.

So what was it that so perplexed our favourite Knight of Wind? The answer lay in a chair by the curtained and closed window of the room.

Kei, Leafe Knight of Light, was holding Mawata in a tender, protective embrace, his forehead to hers as he knelt on one knee in front of the chair where Mawata sat. Kei, the enigmatic, somewhat icy character that even Mannen the Ice Knight had termed as 'cold-blooded', was infusing a clearly weak Mawata with his own Leafe energy, creating a glowing halo around the two of them.

In all the time that Hayate had known Kei, which was a _long_ time, he had never been that close to his brother knight. He had known all along that Kei wasn't as unfeeling as his behaviour sometimes suggested, but he did tend to keep people at a distance, perhaps because of his unfortunate tendency to be very blunt with the truth. Hayate hadn't quite expected Kei to be, well, so, gentle? Kei's usually calm and unruffled expression was soft now, an expression Hayate couldn't really remember seeing.

Perhaps sensing his presence, Kei opened his eyes and turned to face his brother knight. His face was once again calm and stoic. Hayate wondered where the softness he had so briefly glimpsed went. Maybe he was just seeing things.

"Is she alright?" The Knight of Wind whispered quietly, not wanting to wake the peacefully slumbering Mawata as he edged closer. Kei nodded. "She is now."

"That's good..." Kei inclined his head towards the closed windows. "Do you mind...?" His voice was low.

"Oh, of course." Hayate strode swiftly to the tightly drawn drapes and pulled them open, sending rays of bright sunshine streaming into the once-dark room. He then moved to open the windows, letting a gentle breeze in to send strands of his own, long hair to fluttering.

Kei's tensed shoulders relaxed a little as the light bathed him. Not for nothing was he called the Knight of Light; he never did operate quite as well when surrounded in deep darkness. Hayate knew that, but he was still concerned.

"You will exhaust yourself," He predicted to his blonde counterpart. "Even with the sun's energy..."

"It has to be done Hayate. If I let go now..." Kei's voice was quiet, but determined. Hayate frowned. Kei never lied, and judging from Mawata's current condition, he might well be right. He sighed, there would be no persuading the blonde knight. Once Kei had made up his mind about something, nothing short of another apocalypse would stop him. And Hayate wasn't so eager to have to face another end-of-the-world situation right on the heels of the last one.

"If you need help..." Hayate began, but Kei just nodded. "I will call for one of you."

"Good." A distant rattle and a distinctive voice sounded from behind the thickly reinforced oaken door, reminding the blue knight the reason for his presence in the room in the first place. Hayate sweatdropped, most people's voices didn't penetrate a foot-thick wooden door.

At Kei's inquiring glance, Hayate said a simple word, by way of explanation. "Himeno." A ghost of a smile flitted across the other knight's face. Clearly, he knew what Hayate meant in that single word. No further explanation was necessary.

"I'd better go tell Tulip Head that her sister's fine _before _she breaks down the door." Hayate said apologetically. Kei's nod was so slight as to be barely perceptible. He still wore something like a knowing smirk on his face though. Hayate didn't like that look one bit.

As Hayate was about to teleport out again, Kei spoke suddenly. "Breaking down that door might not be such a bad idea; the lock's beyond repair anyway." Then he added something else.

"Don't dawdle so much Hayate, just do it and get it over with. She won't wait forever. You know that." There it was again, that implied smirk in his tone of voice that irritated the Wind Knight so much. He resisted the urge to throttle his brother knight.

Deciding that action spoke louder than words, he teleported out, startling Himeno in the process. The pink haired girl was giving him her patented Look of Death, but he brushed it aside, speaking quickly to preempt any action against him.

"Mawata's alright now." He pondered whether to tell her the rest, then shrugged mentally. After all, what harm could it do? "Kei's with her."

The Look of Death vanished, to be replaced by relief, then surprise. "Kei?" There was an evident note of disbelief.

"He's helping her now. I didn't get any details, but I'm sure Kei will tell us afterwards." Hayate shrugged. "Don't worry, Kei won't let anything happen to her. He's too responsible a person to do that."

"I _know_ that Hayate," Himeno sounded exasperated, as if Hayate had completely missed the point, which in a sense, he had. _'Men...'_ Himeno thought with a sigh.

"What?"

"Why would _Kei_, of all people, be helping Mawata now?"

Hayate gave her the are-you-an-idiot look that always made her feel inadequate. "He's the Knight of Light, Himeno." He said it in a slow, explaining-to-children voice, as if Himeno were some small undiscerning child. Or a retard.

Himeno quashed her instinct to immediately retort as she frowned, still not quite understanding what Hayate was getting at.

Hayate folded his arms, assuming the superior role almost unconsciously. "Kei is very observant. As Knight of Light, his duty is to reveal the truth and to protect those in need. It's his calling. He knows when things are wrong, almost like Sasame does. He must have sensed that Mawata was not feeling well, and did something about it, since Sasame is too preoccupied to notice this..."

"Ohhh...so that's how it is..." Himeno nodded, finally getting it. Then her eyebrow twitched.

Hayate didn't even see her punch coming as it connected with a heavy-sounding thud on the side of his jaw, flooring the handsome knight. Himeno straightened, brushing her hands off on her clothes. "Arrogant ass...assuming he's so smart and everything..." She grumbled for a moment, then turned to more important things.

"Better get something ready for Mawata to eat when she wakes up...and to get that door open somehow..." She mused as she hurried down the long corridor to attend to the things on her mind.

Hayate pushed himself up to a sitting position, one hand cradling his hurt jaw. An ugly-looking bruise was already starting to form on that perfect face. Bright blue eyes stared after Himeno's retreating back. Then he sighed, shaking his head.

"...I'll never understand her."

Kei looked down at the now peaceful Mawata in his arms. He was glad that she was no longer plagued by the dark dreams he suspected had been following her. He would stay like this for as long as necessary, if only for the fragile beauty in his arms to get the rest her body craved. He ignored the first hints of weariness his own body sent him, and focused on making sure that the darkness would not touch her. _Not on my watch..._ He mentally vowed.

His back ached from being in a slightly awkward position for the last few hours, but he persevered. He could not, would not, leave her alone right now. If he did, it would undo all his earlier efforts, and besides, Kei was not one to give up so easily.

Hayate had teleported in a second time earlier, just to check in on him, and made sure that he wouldn't collapse by lending him some of his own Leafe. The sun had since set, and the night, with its much weaker light from the moon, was not helping him in his endeavour. Yet, despite the strain, the only sign of weariness that he displayed was only in the tightening of the skin around his eyes and in the almost imperceptible stress lines across his forehead.

Still he endured. There was nothing much else that he could do. He was not Sasame, who could empathise with people easily, and help heal the wounds in their hearts. He could only ease Mawata's pain for the moment, that was all.

But he doubted that even Sasame could help the girl now. If it wasn't obvious enough earlier, it certainly was during the confrontation between Mawata and Sasame prior to her being sealed within Fenril. Mawata loved Sasame, but Sasame didn't love her back. He couldn't, not when his heart was so wholly devoted to Takako.

Rejection could be very a dangerous impetus. He had learnt that 16 years ago, when Hayate's rejection had steered Takako down the path of evil. And he sensed a kind of power within this girl, not quite like the power of Pretear, but something hauntingly similar. It disturbed him; such a power could easily have been bent to evil purposes, given Mawata's current emotional turmoil. He was going to have to keep a close eye on her in the future. Nobody needed a new Princess of Disaster; even if Mawata didn't have Pretear powers, he wasn't going to take any chances.

Yet he couldn't do anything. Nothing at all. He could not plug that hole in Mawata's heart---he didn't know how, and it irked him for the first time in his life. He was the Knight of Light, he revealed the truth to those who did not wish to see, when they had to. And the truth, he knew from experience, was often the harshest of all.

Sasame, Knight of Sound, the most understanding of the Leafe Knights, now _he_ could have handled this much better than him. Unfortunately, the situation made sure that Sasame's intervention would only worsen the situation.

Kei didn't know what to do, and so he did the only thing he knew how: Serve and protect.

He would protect her as much as he could. It was the only thing he could do. He would not fail.

The Light never failed.

Ok so how was that? I'm still not entirely sure where I'm going with this, although I do have a general direction. So tell me how you feel.


	3. Chapter 3

No reviews? I'm sad...no one loves me...

But I'm going to write anyway. I got the idea in my head and I'm not letting it go haha.

Disclaimer: This is boring, how can Pretear possibly belong to me? If it did... Kei: If it did, we would all be doomed...

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**Before the Light**

Chapter 3

"Tell me again, what are we doing here?" A very sleepy Goh asked the equally bleary-eyed Hayate. Mannen and Hajime yawned their agreements, rubbing sleepily at their eyes. Shin was nowhere in sight, since Himeno had decided to leave the youngest knight happily snoozing in bed. Sasame, on the other hand, had gone off early to the radio station for a recording.

"Apparently..." Hayate stifled another yawn. "We're supposed to tackle the Evil Door of Doom. Or something like that..." He yawned again, his jaw aching from the constant stretching everytime he repeated that action.

"How can a door be evil?" Goh, whose eyes had become more alert at the sound of the word "evil", asked the Wind Knight, who was now massaging his temples in an effort to clear the beginnings of a headache caused by the lack of proper sleep.

"That's what _I_ would like to know too..." The 4 Knights looked at each other, then shrugged helplessly.

Himeno marched up the corridor to where the knights were waiting outside Mawata's door. Takako, who had come back to the Awayuki household to act as housekeeper at Himeno's request, followed behind, bearing a tray full of food and wearing a bemused expression.

Mannen's eyes lit up at the sight and smell of food, as did Hajime. However, Takako held the tray just out of reach, shaking her head at them. "It's not for you." She said firmly, though slightly apologetically. The younger knights' faces fell. Takako smiled and added. "Don't worry, the kitchen's preparing breakfast as we speak."

That brought some life back into the young knights, who grinned broadly. Takako smiled affectionately at the kids, her dark locks falling forward as she inclined her head to look at them. The children, although Mannen would protest vehemently if you said that to his face, liked Takako, since she was really nice to them and took time to play with them when her duties allowed.

Himeno stopped in front of the obviously sleepy Fire and Wind Knights, her eyes determined. She didn't look the least tired, even though it _was_ about 6.30am in the morning, and the Knights, with the exception of Sasame and Kei, usually didn't wake up until 8 or 9 in the morning. She herself didn't wake that early unless there was school involved, but since today was a Sunday, there really wasn't much of a reason for her to rouse herself at such an hour.

Of course, their gathering in front of Mawata's room door pretty much spelled out her intention, even if Hayate wasn't awake enough to think about it at the moment. She stood, hands on her hips, and surveyed the condition of the older two knights.

"Listen up, Mawata's in that room but we can't get the door open. I want you guys to use your powers to open it." Himeno decided to cut through the customary preamble and get straight to the point. The look in her eyes didn't encourage disagreement.

However, Goh wasn't really alert enough to catch onto that. "Then why did you call so many of us? Just Hayate would have been enough..." He stifled another yawn, covering his open mouth. Then he froze as Himeno gave him a "are you sure you want to finish that sentence?" death glare, and hurriedly retracted his previous statement.

"I'll break the door down." Goh quickly volunteered, hoping that once everything was done, Himeno would let them go back to bed. He focused his flame in his right hand, then directed it to slice into the foot-thick door of Mawata's room. The fiery blades made precise incisions in a rectangular shape in the door, and Hajime absently raised his left hand to quench any stray flames before they spread to the rest of the door. The cut-out part of the door didn't move until Hayate used his wind to push it rather forcefully, causing it to fall inward into the room. The Wind Knight quickly cushioned the piece of wood's fall with a gust of wind, laying it to rest gently on the crimson carpet in Mawata's room.

Himeno stepped awkwardly into the room, carefully walking over the charred piece of wood that was once part of the sturdy door that had defied her the day before. Looking up, her eyes were immediately drawn to a corner of the room. She wasn't the only one; the rest of the knights, excluding Hayate who already had his "I cannot believe what I'm seeing" moment the day before, were gawking at the rare sight. Strangely, Takako was equally unaffected by the interesting turn of events, and was wearing a knowing sort of smile that Sasame himself would have been proud of. Hayate yawned again.

For in that corner, Kei and Mawata were more or less in the same position that Hayate had left them in the night before, with one difference. One very big difference. For somewhere in the night, Kei had shifted positions to end up in the chair, with Mawata curled up in his arms, her head resting against his chest. Both were sleeping peacefully, framed in a halo of Kei's own light and the natural sunlight that was beginning to filter into the room through the wide windows behind the chair.

Goh, who by now was totally and completely awake, had his eyes practically starting out of his head. Mannen and Hajime had much the same expression, but tainted with a tad more confusion. Himeno too looked utterly stunned. All that time she had known Kei, she hadn't, well, expected him to be in close contact with anybody at all, much less someone of the opposite gender. And now he was holding her sister in a close embrace. He was holding HER sister...

Hayate, sensing impending trouble, cast a quick glance at the pink haired girl next to him, then back at the slumbering pair and back again. To his chagrin (and amusement), Himeno had gone into a state commonly known as the Over-Protective Older Sister Mode, and was glaring daggers at the still blissfully unaware Kei. _Oh dear..._ He thought to himself.

The tall Wind Knight motioned quickly to the still somewhat dazed Goh, indicating that he should do something to save Kei from the wrath of an overprotective Himeno. The Fire Knight quirked a brow as he gave their Pretear a once-over, and silently agreed with Hayate's assessment. He walked over to the chair even as Hayate grabbed Himeno's arms to restrain her from physically assaulting the slumbering Knight of Light.

"Kei!" Goh hissed, poking the blonde knight in the shoulder. The sleeping knight's eyelids fluttered briefly, before snapping open with a start. His body tensed automatically, but relaxed when he saw that it was only Goh. "Yes?" The Light Knight didn't seem perturbed by Goh's presence at all.

Wordlessly, Goh stepped aside, allowing Kei to see the scene unfolding behind him. Himeno was straining against Hayate's grasp, and Mannen had helpfully trapped the explosive girl's feet in a block of ice to restrict her movement. If the Ice Knight hadn't done that, Hayate probably wouldn't have been able to hold on to her...

Goh was studying Kei rather carefully. The Fire Knight could barely sense Kei's aura, which wasn't a normal occurence. Every knight had their own strong, distinctive aura around them, but despite standing so close to Kei, he could sense nearly nothing from him. That just wasn't right...unless...! Goh's eyes widened. _Just how much Leafe did he use?_

Kei didn't react at all to Himeno's antics, but quite carefully arranged the sleeping Mawata in his arms so that he would be carrying her, bridal-style, when he stood up. He seemed peculiarly gentle, being careful not to jolt the sleeping girl in his arms as he laid her down on the bed. Once he was sure that she was settled in, Kei made his way out, calmly walking past the now cooling-down Himeno. Goh watched him apprehensively, as if fearing that the blonde knight would collapse any moment. With so much Leafe drained from Kei's body, it was unlikely that he would not feel any side effects.

Hayate looked curiously at the departing Kei, also sensing that his aura had weakened rather significantly. _How is he managing to even walk?_

On the rumpled sheets, Mawata groaned and shifted uneasily in her sleep. Himeno, her attention drawn back to her sister, finally managed to break free of the ice trapping her feet and went quickly to the bedside, her face mirroring her concern. Hayate was about to follow when Takako called out to him.

"Do you mind taking the tray? I don't think Mawata would want to see me around when she wakes up." Takako had a slightly haunted and guilty expression on her face as she mentioned Mawata's name. She had been responsible for hurting Mawata before, and Takako was never comfortable with the evils of her past. Who could?

Hayate nodded in understanding, reaching over to take the tray from her. Takako inclined her head briefly in thanks before gliding silently out of the room, Hayate watching her as she did. He had always felt guilty about Takako; but at least now he was glad that she had Sasame and was coming along just fine. It helped make him feel better to know that she was happy with Sasame, and it helped, in some obscure way, to atone for his own actions in the past.

Mawata stirred, sweat beading on her forehead, before sitting up with a violent jerk, her mouth emitting a small cry as she did so. Her green eyes were nervous, uncertain, as they darted from side to side, as if afraid that something would suddenly pounce on her from nowhere. She began to tremble, slightly at first, then in a more pronounced fashion. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to stop the shaking, but failed miserably.

"Mawata...Mawata...it's me, Himeno..." The older girl called out softly to her shaking sister. She tentatively laid a hand on Mawata's arm, closing her hand around Mawata's own and squeezing it reassuringly. "It's alright, everything's ok now...you're safe..." Himeno's voice was soothing, and had the desired calming effect on the green haired girl.

"...Himeno? Sister?" Green eyes blinked, then cleared, the fog in them lifting. Himeno smiled gently. "Yes it's me. Are you feeling alright?"

Mawata took a deep, shuddering breath. "...yes...I think I am...now..." She let out the breath slowly, and the tremors in her body lessened, then ceased completely. Mawata smiled weakly at her older step sister. "In fact, I'm a little hungry now..." Her voice was sheepish.

Himeno beamed.

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Kei was dead on his feet. Putting one foot in front of the other had never required so much effort.

Still, he maintained his cool exterior, head up and spine straight. _Got a reputation to keep..._ His mental voice sounded wry even to him. All he wanted to do at the moment was to slump his shoulders and drag his feet as he trudged his way back to his room. But no, Kei had to be the picture of calm. He was the guy who always kept himself in check. He was the guy who never let his weakness show, at least not too much. He was the pillar of support among the knights, even if the rest didn't fully acknowledge it.

Hayate might be their unofficial leader, but Kei's calm presence had an undeniable stabilising effect on the team. Each and every one of the knights had a role to play in preserving their unity, and Kei knew his role only too well.

_Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing it too well..._ He thought as he breezed past one of the numerous servants in the Awayuki household. The young maidservant stole a glance at him, which he pretended not to notice. He wasn't the only one to receive female attention, the rest of the knights had their fair share. Only now, Sasame had been claimed by Takako, which officially took him off the market. Not that it really mattered, since the girls could still look at him secretly as always.

Hayate was another female magnet. With his good looks, Kei wasn't surprised. However, Himeno would probably kill anybody who laid a finger on the Wind Knight, even if she would never admit that she cared for him that much in public. Still, it was fairly obvious to anybody with eyes that Himeno cared very much for Hayate and vice versa, as if the blushing around each other wasn't an obvious enough indicator.

Goh too, had no shortage of young, pretty things throwing themselves at his feet. The Fire Knight fitted the image of a flamboyant playboy, despite his job as a lowly waiter at a sidewalk cafe. Kei was convinced that the business at the cafe had picked up significantly after Goh started working there; giggling schoolgirls tended to flock there to catch a sight of the fiery Goh, and some of the bolder ones quite openly flirted with him.

As for himself, he was in a sort of an amusing situation. His pretty boy looks had earned him a fair number of advances---from both sexes. It was a little unnerving at times to be hit on by men, but Kei had since grown used to it. He almost had to, especially in his male-dominated workplace. Still, he preferred women to men; despite all signs suggesting otherwise, he was still very much male, thank you.

The younger knights were in no such fix---yet. As of now, their contact with the female species were largely in the realm of "Oh, so cute!" squeals and hugs. That should change when they grew older, Kei mused. For some strange, perverse reason, all the knights were blessed (or cursed) with good looks. Perhaps the strange force that was behind their existence willed it that way for his (or hers?) entertainment. Kei wasn't looking forward to giving the younger knights "the talk". Thankfully that unpleasant job usually fell on the most senior knight, which so happened to be Hayate at the moment. An evil smirk crossed the Light Knight's face. Now _that_ would be a conversation worth listening in to. He could just picture Hayate stumbling over the subject matter and flushing pinker than Himeno's hair in the process.

Kei let off a mental sigh as he neared his room. All the knights had been invited to stay on the Awayuki estate, in a separate wing that was specially built to house them. Kei privately suspected that the building had been specially reinforced, especially around the private "arena" within the imposing structure, which had been incorporated in to give the Knights a place to spar and practice without destroying anything.

Once the ornate door clicked shut behind the blonde knight, he allowed himself to relax his posture and staggered his way to the bathroom. Despite his tired body's importuning's to just hurl himself into bed, Kei was compulsively tidy and fastidious. He absolutely abhorred dirt, the sole exception being when he had to battle, but otherwise he kept himself and his surroundings scrupulously neat and clean.

That fact was reflected in the near-spartan state of his room. Everything was where it should be; the bed was well made with the pillows fluffed to exact puffiness, his work desk was devoid of clutter with his stationery neatly stacked in a corner. The color scheme was a pale peach color, and nothing in the room contradicted or jarred with the overall visual effect. His windows were perpetually open, and light, near-transparent curtains bellowed out in the face of the stiff breeze streaming in.

After a perfunctory shower, Kei rapidly dried himself off and stepped out in a bathrobe, his golden eyes lidded as he shambled his way across the soft carpet to the inviting bed. After vigorously drying his long blonde locks, he tossed the towel in the general direction of the laundry basket---and it went in. Without a second thought, the Knight of Light collapsed onto satin sheets and promptly fell asleep.

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It was dark. No, even beyond that. It was the kind of soul-chilling darkness that put the inky blackness of night to shame.

Nothing could exist in that void of bottomless darkness. At least, nothing should be able to. Yet, something lived there...

No, it didn't _live _there. It simply was. It had no shape, no form. It was one with that endless dark, born out of rage and hate and a towering frustration. It steeped in negativity and depression, immutable and unchangeable for all eternity.

It _was_ before all was created; it will _be_ when all is destroyed. It transcended time and space, it was beyond this plane of existence.

It saw the rise and fall of civilisations. It witnessed humanity's rise to domination. It fed off the depths of darkness emanating from the naive humans who so foolishly thought themselves to be the masters of the universe. It grew strong in the hatred that Man bore for each other, and savored the rage and pain in every death.

It hated those foolish, ant-like humans. It despised the proud creatures which walked upon the earth that should rightly belong to it. It gloried in the destruction caused by those mindless humans, for every life carelessly taken was a paving stone towards a future that belonged in its grasp.

It had been patient. Time had no meaning to one such as it. It had been so close...a world where death reigned supreme, where life no longer flourished, where his power would have been enthroned in its rightful place for all eternity.

But yet, Chance had not favored it. Again, something had thwarted its plans. The meddling children of its brother and rival had once again intervened and restored the balance to the world. A delicate balance, where life and death danced in a neverending cycle, and light and dark continued their eons old progression.

It had never been satisfied with the arrangement. It wanted everything, not that meager amount allotted to it in the original agreement.

And so it started again. LIke so many times before, it rose up with every failure, eagerly watching for a chance to once again drown the world in blood and darkness. It would never give up, but would try and try until all was destroyed...and would resume his efforts when its brother awakens the next cycle.

It had found one, so soon after its previous protege had failed. One so beautifully radiating sadness and dejection, ignorant of the power invested inside that frail human body. It would have been so easy to draw that foolish child into the embrace of darkness, and it had rejoiced in the anticipation of yet another round of destruction...

But it was not to be. Accursed be the children of it meddling brother! One of them had noticed, and had taken steps to interfere with its beautiful plan. It seethed at this unexpected intrusion, and had been forced to revise its original scheme. They would pay, all of them. It would make them suffer, and it would enslave them and make them watch the death of the world they had sought so dearly to protect.

It never forgot the debts owed to it. And one day it would collect them, one by one.

For the Dark was always there. In many incarnations it had been, each called by a different name, yet was always the same entity. Some called it the Devil, some called it Death, others named it Destruction. But perhaps the best qualification had been Chaos, for that was what it was, what it embodied at its very core.

Chaos could wait. It had all the time in this world and the next. Its rival would always be there to play.

There was always time.

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Well how was that? Please review! I live off reviews! Even one measly one would make me ecstatic.

My updates won't be too frequent, considering school's demands. But please be patient!


	4. Chapter 4

My God, a review at last! faints

Chaos: kicks Hey wake up you lazy bum!

DarkElena: ...owww...hey wait, when did YOU get here? Oo

Chaos: You left the door open...ninny.

DarkElena: ...I'm not going to reply to that.

Chaos: She just doesn't have the mental capacity to handle an argument with the Lord of the Universe! basks in self-showered glory

DarkElena: Ignore that egoistical prick. Oh and in response to **keyquis**, yeah I think Goh and Mawata would make a good pair too, but I like Kei better. Haha. Let's move on with the story after that tiresome little thing known as the Disclaimer. And sorry about the delay in posting!

Disclaimer: How many times do I have to type this out? I don't own Pretear! See this! shows everyone empty pockets I won't be the poor student I am if I did own this...

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**Before The Light**

Chapter 4

Kei didn't dream. That is, he didn't usually have them. Why not? Most people had dreams.

Freud's interpretation of dreams stems from a causal point of view. He looked upon dreams as merely answers to internal stimuli, which are usually unfufilled wishes that in most cases are conflicting in nature. On the other hand, Jung's intepretation also evaluated dreams from the standpoint of finality, which when boiled down, essentially comes to fruition in the form of 2 questions: "What is the purpose of the dream?" and "What effect is it meant to have?".

Kei didn't dream.

If taking Freud's method of evaluation into account, it suggested that the blonde knight didn't have any conflicting unfufilled wishes. That in itself was a curious phenomenon, as most ordinary people will always have conflicting wishes in their lives. Granted, Kei was a Leafe Knight and far from the model of normality. However, given his peculiar status and unusual experiences in an overly-extended lifespan, you would think that he would have picked up a few repressed desires along the way.

Kei didn't dream. He never did. He never thought he would.

But he was having one now.

And for a first-time dream, it didn't even have the decency to be a nice, fluffy one with adorable pink sheep or purple giraffes. Heck, given the fact that he _was _male, it couldn't even be a wet dream, just for kicks. No, it just _had_ to be a nightmare, and a truly horrifying one to boot.

Life was not being very good to Kei at that point in time.

His room was illuminated by the weak rays of sunshine streaming in through the large windows to the right of his king-sized bed, giving the place a light, airy feel. A light, airy feel that stopped at the bed. Instead, a peculiar oppressiveness seemed to hover over the Knight of Light, who was mumbling incoherently in his sleep as sweat beaded on his forehead. His long blonde tresses, free from their usual bindings, were plastered in a sickly sort of manner on his fevered skin. The covers on the bed had long since been thrown aside somewhere earlier in his distressed slumber, and revealed the fact that he was wearing only a pair of silken boxers.

As mentioned so many times before, Kei was a Leafe Knight. What did the life of a Leafe Knight entail? Well, the job description was fairly simple: to look after the Leafe of the world, and battle evil things that tried to upset the natural balance. Oh, and did I mention the fact that Leafe Knights don't age once they've reached full physical maturity? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, they don't die unless killed by something or other, and a combination of luck, skill, and an extended period of peace in the world can mean that a Leafe Knight will have a lifespan of anything from a few decades to a few centuries.

So what was the point of the above ramble? Just think about it. What do you get when you live for so long? Memories, naturally. And given the job description, the memories involved can hardly be all sweetness and light. Fighting, whether for justice and peace or not, rarely brings good memories. You lose friends and comrades on the battlefield. You see death and destruction. An abnormally extended lifespan pretty much means that you get to see normal, mortal acquaintances die of old age. The worst part of that is that you can't even form permanent attachments to "normal" people, since for one thing, you don't age, which makes people kind of suspicious. The second thing is that losing friends can hardly do any good to your long-term emotional health. Going crazy or falling into depression isn't really an option for a Leafe Knight.

Kei had discussed that point with Sasame several times. Eventually, they came to a conclusion as to how the Leafe Knights maintain their sanity.

Firstly, the presence of their fellow Leafe Knights. They are the only constant in that existence beyond the normal human plane. You almost have to have a constant in such a life, since everything else in the mortal plane will fall away and die eventually. Even when a Leafe Knight falls, eventually they will be reborn, provided that at least one of the Knights is still standing. So, therein remains a form of stability for the team.

Secondly, the whole dying-and-being-reborn thing. When Leafe Knights die, they are reborn with no memory of their past cycle, save for knowledge of their elemental powers and innate sense of duty to their cause. The Light and Sound Knights had always wondered why they did not retain the memories, since those memories could possibly have contained useful information such as battle techniques and the like. The answer, when they found it, was simple.

Memories can be a burden. Especially taking into account the length of time that the Leafe Knights have been around, which amounts to several eons, the weight of thousands of years of memories can be very heavy. To start with no memories is in a sense giving that particular Knight a clean slate to work with, so that he would not be burdened with the mistakes or failures of the past, and also not to rest on his own victories and stay stagnant. Besides, sometimes ignorance _is_ a kind of bliss.

Kei had been knocking around for a few decades already. This past couple of centuries were chaotic, from wars in the human world to wars in _their_ peculiar little world. It had resulted in knights falling and being reborn rather quickly (in the long view, 50 years seems pretty short). The last time the Leafe Knights were so busy was probably around the 16th century or so (he checked world history for incidents of turmoil to reach that particular conclusion).

A embattled groan came from his chapped lips, as he tossed and turned feverishly in the throes of his nightmare. His fists were practically digging open holes in his sheets, so tight he was clutching them. His face twisted in one of his lesser-used expressions, that of fear and hopelessness.

I suppose I have kept you wondering long enough. What in the world could possibly freak Kei out that much, even though it was just a dream? Of course, nothing short of another doomsday scenario could coax such feelings, much less expressions. of fear out of Kei. That was what happened normally anyway.

'Normally', however, didn't apply to dreams, and it certainly didn't apply now.

Well, since you've all been so nice to read through all that above nonsense, let's take a peek into Kei's dream, shall we?

x-x-Kei's dream-x-x

_I can't see._

_Where am I?_

_I can't see a thing._

_I'm cold._

_It's dark._

_I can't see anything._

_So dark._

_I need light._

_Why aren't my powers working?_

_I'm cold._

_I need to see._

_...help..._

Kei stumbled back, falling on his behind. The darkness was everywhere, all around. It was pervasive, seductive. He didn't like it. He couldn't even see himself, for Leafe's sake! It was as if he did not exist, swallowed up by an absolute darkness.

_Is there a floor? _

_No, it's not. It doesn't feel like anything._

_There's has to be a floor somewhere._

_I'm not falling, but there's no floor?_

_...then what the heck am I sitting on?_

Confusion filled Kei, and with it came uncertainty and fear. He didn't like not knowing things. He needed to see. He needed to know what was around him. He needed to be in control. He certainly wasn't now.

_It's cold._

_I need light._

_Where are everyone?_

_I can't hear anything._

_I can't see anything._

_I'm **alone**._

Kei shuddered, hugging his arms to himself, as if trying to ascertain to himself that, at the very least, he himself was still there. For the Knight of Light, not being able to see anything at all in this all-consuming darkness was one of his deepest fears. Gritting his teeth, he tried again to summon some light, no matter how feeble it would be due to his exhaustion. Even the tiniest of sparks would be an immense comfort in this fog of darkness that he had been enshrouded in.

_It's not working!_

_I hate the dark._

_Someone help me..._

_Goh? Sasame? Hayate? Mannen? Hajime? Shin?_

_Can anyone hear me?_

_I don't want to be alone._

The silence was deafening. It was drowning his senses, the silence ringing like a mocking bell in his ears. He clasped his hands to his ears reflexively, knowing even as he did so that it was a pointless move. You **can't** block silence out. It just didn't work that way.

Terror was beginning to set in, one of the most basic, most primitive of emotions. Kei felt sick, the bile was rising in his throat from the sheer amount of fear he was feeling. He hated feeling weak and helpless. He was supposed to help the weak and helpless, not be in that position himself!

With that thought came a certain amount of despair and self-loathing, alien emotions to the Knight of Light. His character makeup was essentially based on the light, as his role entailed. Being part of the light element gave him a more optimistic outlook (tainted by realism for him), as well as a never-say-die attitude even in hopeless situations.

Needless to say, the surfacing of such negative emotions in him caused yet another wave of negativity to rise in him. He despised those emotions in himself, and by extension, despised himself for feeling that way. It was deadly, vicious cycle, negativity multiplying upon itself until the weight of it crushed the Light Knight inexorably down, chipping at his self-confidence and filling it with doubt and feelings of inadequacy.

Then, it got worse, just when Kei didn't think it could get any worse, given his current state of half-crazed fear. It was a tribute to what few shreds of his self-discipline he had left that he hadn't snapped yet.

_Nobody's coming I can't feel them they all left me all alone I hate this help me no no no..._

The darkness shifted. If it had been cold and unfeeling before, it grew even icier now, and a growing sense of malice and insane glee overlaid it. Kei gasped as the darkness grew thicker, squeezing the oxygen out of the air. He couldn't breathe, and his stomach rolied with a sickly turn as the remmants of his previous meal threatened to desert him.

_**Not feeling so noble now are you?**_

Kei looked around blindly, his head turning this way and that, trying to ascertain where the voice was coming from. But it was an exercise in futility, for the voice was sourceless, one with the darkness.

_**So weak...so helpless... I could easily crush you right now, and no one would be the wiser.**_

_Who are you? What are you? Let me out!_

_**But I won't kill you. It's too little a punishment for spoiling my plans. Puny little knight, letting your defenses down will be the death of you. Didn't your master teach you anything at all?**_

_I don't know! I don't care! Let me go! I don't know what you mean!_

_**Nothing? How foolish. How easy this will be. You want me to let you go, yes?**_

_Whatever you are, just let me out now or else!_

The voice, if it could be considered a voice, laughed at Kei's blustering. When it spoke again, it sounded amused, with just the barest hint of malice coating its words.

_**Weak, foolish little knight. Barely a child. Of course I will let you go. It's no fun killing you now.**_

Kei shivered rather violently as the words cut through him like the sharpest of knives. Despite his fear and uncertainty, he felt vaguely defiant as his personality and natural tenacity came to the fore. Steeling himself, he waited for whatever came next, his other senses alert as the darkness precluded him from seeing a thing.

The voice chuckled at his renewed backbone. **_Perhaps you're not a baby after all, little boy._**

Kei was about to retort when he was struck heavily in the gut, doubling him over. The blow sizzled through skin and flesh, burning and freezing all at the same time. Howling in agony, his self-control finally snapping, he clutched at his abdomen as **PAIN** lashed at him like an unrelenting gale.

He could vaguely sense the cold, mocking malice of the voice that had taunted him even as the darkness shifted and blurred around him. Even as he finally lost his senses, he heard a faint insectlike stridulation screeching from somewhere around him.

It was the last thing he remembered before the pain overwhelmed him.

x-x-End dream-x-x

Like a drowning swimmer, Kei hauled himself up and out of the darkness and finally came to, his eyes struggling to open. His whole body ached, and even the slightest shift of his muscles under the skin hurt like hell. He gave up trying to pry his eyes open and settled for a narrow slit of vision, for which he was already eminently thankful for given his ordeal.

The light was blinding, a fact he didn't particularly mind. The fact that there _was_ light was comfort enough.

Noises. He could hear the sound of the wind through the window, the chirping of birds in the distance. Everything sounded fresh and wonderful. He wondered if that's how Sasame felt all the time, given the Sound Knight's prenaturally acute sense of hearing.

"Kei! Wake up!" The blonde struggled to separate the mash of words into intelligible phrases as his wearied mind struggled to keep pace. By the time he figured out what was being said (or more accurately, yelled) to him, he was being shaken rather violently by whoever was calling out to him. That very action sent shockwaves of intense agony rippling through his body, and he let out a pained yell as his eyes snapped open reflexively.

When his vision cleared, he blinked at the crowd gathered in his room. The younger knights were at the foot of his bed, while Hayate and Himeno were to his left, Himeno seated on the edge of his bed with worried eyes, and the Wind Knight standing behind her, looking equally, if not more worried. Goh was on his right, and it had been him who had shook Kei. The blonde knight gave his fiery counterpart a venomous glare promising all sorts of pain, and Goh shrank back visibly, inching off the bed.

Everyone was staring at him, making him just a tad uncomfortable. What were they looking at? More to the point, what were they doing in his room?

"How are you feeling Kei? We heard you scream, so we came to check it out..." Himeno asked tentatively, her eyes straying from his face to the rest of his body. Kei raised an eyebrow, was she checking him out or something?

"I'm fine...just need rest..." His voice came out more weakly than he intended it to, making him curse his weakness mentally.

There was an awkward silence in the room. Kei eyed them suspiciously, feeling his headache get worse. What were they so uncomfortable about? "I'm telling you, I'm fine, so just leave me alone!" Kei finally burst out, his own vehemence surprising himself.

Goh's face twitched, as did Hayate's. They showed a certain amount of surprise at his outburst. Finally, Mannen broke the ensuing silence by yelling.

"You CAN'T be alright Kei! You've got blood all over you!"

_Blood?_ Kei thought woozily, his mind not quite getting it. Looking down at his own body, he finally realised why they were all staring at him. Funny he himself hadn't realised it any sooner.

His body was covered with wounds. More specifically, they were wounds from past battles, supposedly long since healed and vanished from sight. Yet now here they were in all their glory, livid scars red with blood, some gaping like an open mouth. The one that immediately seized his attention however, was the seared flesh of his abdomen. The bloodied mess there made the area barely recognisable as once healthy flesh. He dimly recognised it, remembering the searing blow that he was dealt with in that dream.

_That dream...was real!_ Distinct alarm bells rang through his head, even as his world spun once again around him and left him out cold again.

Another long silence ensued in the room.

"We'd better get him to Leafenia," Hayate said finally. The absurdity of the whole situation where which Kei had been apparently unaware of the grievious wounds on himself was heavy on everyone's minds. Out of respect to (and horror at) Kei's wounded state though, everyone held in their instinctive urge to laugh at Kei's disbelieving face when being told about his condition.

The Wind and Fire Knights lifted their unconscious comrade, careful not to jolt him any further in case of reopening any more of those ugly wounds. Mannen opened the portal and all the knights went through.

Himeno was about to follow when a small sound drew her attention to the door, or rather, what was left of it. In their earlier haste to get to Kei, Hayate had blown the whole thing open, resulting in a rather actively graphic display of the phrase "smashing into smithereens", in which wooden shards had sprayed in several directions at high speed. Hajime had had to narrowly avoid being impaled when one particularly large splinter shot off in the general direction of his head.

Mawata stood at the entrance, having followed after the rest at a much slower pace and had recently arrived. She had an unreadable expression as she took in the destruction of the door and the abundance of blood staining the peach colored bedsheets where Kei had so recently been lying on.

"Do I even want to know?" She asked half to herself. Himeno smiled weakly at her step sister's question.

"I'll explain when I come back later," The pink haired girl promised as she made for the portal, before turning back with a stern frown on her face. "You go back to bed this instant young lady! You need rest!" A half-grin graced Mawata's face at that imperious command.

Himeno huffed a little and disappeared into the portal, leaving Mawata alone in the wrecked area of the room. The girl looked around at the wreckage with a mildly curious eye, before carefully stepping over the larger chunks of wood to get clear of the "damage zone". She sighed as she mentally took in the enormity of the damage; wrecked wallpapers, destroyed carpet, bloodstained sheets (_better get them to change the whole bed, _ she mused)...

In comparison, the damage her room suffered was decidedly less marked. She shrugged, it wasn't as if they couldn't afford repairs, and besides, she always wanted to fix her door...

_I guess I'll have to get Mr Tanaka to get all these things cleared up..._

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DarkElena: Well now that's done.

Chaos: Took you long enough, you lazy procrastinator!

DarkElena: Yeah yeah I know, and I'm really sorry to all my readers! If there are any left that is...

Chaos: Hmpf, any story with me in it should be a hit. Only someone like _you_ could mess it up.

DarkElena: Not funny. Anyway I'll try to post as soon as possible, but I have upcoming tests to study for and that might hold me back a bit. Please be patient!

Chaos: Oh, and review this story. Not for my incompetent companion though. Anyone would be honored to review because of ME.

DarkElena: Again, his ego is way too large. But he's right about one thing...

Chaos: That you're incompetent?

DarkElena: NOT that. Please review everyone! Click that little button at the bottom of the page! It can't be THAT difficult, can it?

Chaos: darkly You can never know...


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